New Video: Installing Linux Mint 15

In our latest video we step through how to install Linux Mint 15 'Olivia' on a clean hard drive.  In our example, I am using a new VirtualBox machine and Linux Mint 15 'MATE' edition with No Codecs.  If you have ever installed Ubuntu, then you will have no problem stepping through the installation wizard and successfully installing Mint on a system.

However, if you have not installed Ubuntu, and Mint is your first experience with Linux.  Do not fear.  As the wizard is rather simple and straight forward.  Check out our video, and as always make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to stay up to date with all of our videos as they are released.



Thanks for watching!
Checkout our YouTube channel for more videos on Linux Mint, Ubuntu, and Windows! http://www.youtube.com/techiesmarts

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More Techie's Tool Box Videos Coming Up!

I have been getting numerous requests via our Facebook page asking when more "Techie's Toolbox" videos were going to drop on the YouTube Channel again...  

My response is officially, 'Coming Soon!  Very Soon!'. 

A little background on the 'Tool Box' videos: I started posting a couple videos highlighting tools and free/cheap software that can be a valuable asset to those in the IT field.  It doesn't matter if you are only repairing friend's or family computers in your spare time.  Or if you are a field technician needing a few more flexible options in your tool kit.

After making a couple of these videos, the response was somewhat small, and people seemed to want help with more Linux/Ubuntu based issues.  So we spun several series of videos based on Linux and Ubuntu.

Unfortunately, life has been pretty busy for a while and my attention had to shift off of the website and videos for a little while.  Now I'm shifting gears in my spare time and trying to start contributing again.  So hang on tight, we've got more good stuff up our sleeves.

Here is what I need to ask from my loyal readers/viewers: FEEDBACK.

I need to know what you folks would like me to cover?  Want help finding the proper tools to analyze hard disk space, cloud backup/storage services, backup solutions, antivirus support, remote support, etc.  Drop a line in the comments section below or swing by our Facebook page and leave a suggestion.  If you drop a suggestion, be sure to leave a username and I'll give you a shout out in the video.

Drop by our Facebook Page and leave a comment at: TechieSmarts on Facebook

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Copy: Free Cloud Storage for a Limited Time

Checkout Copy... And do it now.  Copy is awesome.  Sure, it isn't a new concept.  Sites like Dropbox have been around for a while.  But if you want 5GB of free storage, why not take it right?   They have a working client for Android, iOS, and PC (Linux, Mac, & Windows).  And seeing as how I use Android, Linux, and Windows this is a very tempting offer.

But for a limited time, 5GB isn't the only free storage you can get from Copy.  If you sign up for copy using this link: https://copy.com?r=UfAoUE

You will get your 5GB of free storage for signing up (which everyone gets).  But once you sign in to any of the client apps (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android) you will get an extra 5GB of storage.  That's a total of 10GB of storage for doing nothing more than signing up and installing the app.

So far, I have used the app to sync pictures from my Android phone and my Nexus 7 tablet.  And once I installed the Windows client, any data within selected folders "automagically" syncs to my laptop too.  That means no more hooking my phone up to a USB cable to transfer pictures or data to/from my mobile devices.

The sign up process is extremely simple.  Basically, just your name, email address, and a password.  It takes less than a minute to sign up, a few moments to install the app and sign in.  That's less than 2 or 3 minutes for 10GB of free cloud storage.  It doesn't get any easier than that.

How sweet is that?

So drop by Copy using: https://copy.com?r=UfAoUE
Sign up and use the mobile app.  Worse case scenario, you get 10GB of free storage for future use.  Not too shaby!

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HP Is Certifying Ubuntu on their Proliant Server Hardware

Mr. Mark Shuttleworth announced that HP will start certifying Ubuntu 12.04 LTS on it's Proliant Server product line.  What does this mean for customer's who are using Proliant hardware?  It means that HP will no longer invalidate a product warranty because you slap Ubuntu on it's storage as opposed to the standard Windows Server Operating System.

If you are familiar with Linux, you will know that Ubuntu is a great server operating system and it's demand and use is constantly growing.  So, kudos Cannonical; good job in getting some corporate backing.  Here's the kicker, HP's reputation hasn't been the greatest over the last while.  So hopefully this won't hurt Cannonical's decision.  And if you remember, this is not the first time a hardware company has jumped into the Ubuntu arena.  Several years ago, Dell offered a line of computers that came preloaded with Ubuntu (other companies followed suit to a small extent) and they publicized the fact that you could buy an Ubuntu powered machine from them.  However, that PR seemed to fade away about as quick as it showed up.  Hopefully, the same thing won't happen this time around.

And HP isn't just certifying Ubuntu 12.04 LTS on new hardware either.  This also applies to existing Proliant hardware that is already in the field.  So if you are an IT manager at your business and have a need for the Ubuntu Server OS and are running a Proliant product, you should be good to go.  So break out those Ubuntu guides, you may see a growing area in the IT world.

As a huge Linux fan and an Ubuntu user myself, I am glad to see companies like HP getting behind them.  As we near closer to the future of Windows, it is only evident that other options may be just as viable as Microsoft's server offerings as surely things in the Windows Server OS will start to evolve and change as well over time.  Maybe corporate user's will see the need to Ubuntu powered servers in their solutions.  This would be great for Ubuntu, and possibly even great for the open-source community as a whole.  Think about it, with Ubuntu Servers comes the need for companies to have staff who know how to work with it.  And with more "professional" backing, maybe a higher quality of open source software packages would become available to the Ubuntu community.

Here's to you Ubuntu!  Swing by Cannonical's website for more information: http://www.canonical.com/

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New Web Project!

Hey everybody, I'm sorry for the lack of posts as of late.  But I have been very busy trying to get our latest web project off the ground which is being included into our growing network of online resources.  And it looks like it is ready to roll!  Be sure to checkout SlimTechie!  Over at SlimTechie we will try to bring fitness tips, progress reports, encouragement, help from social media (like YouTube), and reviews for apps and web services that you can use to help get into shape (or even just a healthier lifestyle).  And to top it off, I will be practicing what I am preaching.

That's right, you can keep up with me as I work towards my fitness goals and keep track of my achievements or shortcomings as I will update with progress reports on how I am doing in hopes that others may be inspired. So if you want to see how you can use technology to bridge the gap between being a geek (like me) and getting fit then swing by and pay us a visit.  The best thing about it, since I am a rather cheap individual just about everything we will cover will be either free or so cheap it might as well be free.

So come by and hang out with us!
http://slimtechie.blogspot.com

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Google vs RIAA concerning Mobile Apps

Apparently Google is in the hot seat with the RIAA.  What about?  Seems to be about some apps in the Android Market that allow user's to download MP3's.  One in particular: MP3 Music Download Pro seems to be the topic of much discussion.  The RIAA is claiming that they have issues a take down notice to Google.  And Google did not respond.

Google's stance was that the app could be used for legitimate purposes (like downloading public domain music which is legal and free).  In short, if you have pulled down this app from the Android Market or were planning to I wouldn't be surprised if it disappears very shortly.  Plus, with the RIAA getting involved if you use this app (or apps similar to it) I'd be very careful.  The awkward part for me is the fact that this app promotes downloading music and is very vague as to what it's limitations are (meaning you can technically access copyrighted materials).  And yet, a lot of reputable sources are promoting the app and suggesting it as a great app.  Just because it's mobile doesn't necessarily make it right folks.

I know people in general like free things.  I understand that.  However, I don't see why Google doesn't go ahead and make the leap with a music store offering.  The web has been a buzz for several months now that this would be a viable option for Google.  And one that Google hasn't denied and has actually been working with recording labels on.  Maybe if Google opened their own music retail hub online, and started screening out these free MP3 apps everybody wins.  Customer's get the music their looking for at competitive prices (legally and without RIAA action), Google gets a cut of the profits, and the RIAA is happy that the bad apps are screened out and legit music is filling devices.

Just a thought.

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Installing LXDE in Ubuntu 11.10

As we continue our search for alternate desktop environments for Ubuntu 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot' we now arrive at LXDE.  LXDE is short for the "Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment".  It's mission is a simple one: to be "extremely fast performing".  LXDE is great for older computers or computers with lower resources than most have by today's standards.  Running LXDE will give you the best of both worlds: a great experience as your desktop environment, and the latest advantages with Ubuntu.

The great thing about LXDE is that even if you don't use Ubuntu, you can install LXDE in other distributions as well.  Another perk for LXDE is it makes a nice desktop environment for people who are trying to migrate from the Windows world.  You can even customize LXDE to a certain extent as well.

So without further delay, feel free to give our video below a watch:

Ubuntu 11.10: Installing LXDE

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Be sure to stay up to date with our YouTube Channel by subscribing to it!
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Video: Let's Install Xfce in Ubuntu 11.10

In this video we will cover how to install yet another alternate Window Manager using Ubuntu 11.10.  We will be installing Xfce.  Xfce can also be installed directly from a fresh install by using the Xubuntu release of Ubuntu 11.10.  But for those who maybe upgraded directly from a previous version of Ubuntu only to find out we were being force fed the Unity Desktop than you may not want to take the time to wipe and do a clean install of your operating system.

Why choose the Xfce desktop?  What'ts so great about it?  Well for one, it's pretty fast.  Xfce manages to cut a lot of the excess stuff out of it that you would normally find in a fresh desktop.  The menu effects and extra stuff that tends to use a little more resources is gone.  This is especially nice when you want to use the latest and greatest Ubuntu release, but have an older computer that maybe doesn't play as well with Unity.  The big downside for a lot of people would probably be the appearance of Xfce.  It definitely lacks the elegance and eye candy of other desktop environments.  However, what it lacks in cosmetic appearance it makes up for in speed and low resource usage.

*Note: I do recommend to make sure you have all of your files and data backed up before performing any major install or change to your system just to be on the safe side.  With that being said, we will use the Ubuntu Software Center instead of the Terminal to accomplish this install.

Installing Xfce in Ubuntu 11.10

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As always be sure to visit our YouTube Channel and subscribe to stay up to date with all of our videos!
http://www.youtube.com/techiesmarts

Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/techiesmarts

Or swing by our Facebook Page and 'Like' it!
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Tablet Owners Not Paying for News, Surprised?

It goes without saying that the way the world consumes content has changed.  Ten years ago, it was very common for people to come home from work and sit down and watch the evening news and read the Sunday paper.  Fast forward to 2011 and how many people do you see sitting in their office at lunch reading the paper.  How many of us actually sit down and watch that television show they call the 'Evening News'?

The vast majority of us access our news via online means.  Whether it be subscribing to a news source via online editions or issues or just reading the headlines on Google News.  So it's shock to me when the Pew Research Center released their findings in the study as to whether or not tablet owner's are willing to pay for news content.  And their answer was 'No'.  Something like 14% of tablet user's who use their device for news content polled had actually purchased access to news content.

And while a lot of times these 'polls' can be ignored because they are sometimes so far out there they just don't make sense.  I tend to believe this one.  Seriously, why should we be forced to pay for news content when there are so many reputable places online to get the same stories for free of charge?  I can honestly say that I get into reading the news more now than I ever have.  And it has become a nightly habit to check the headlines before hitting the hay for the night.  I'm sure this trend will continue unless every reputable news source decides to lock down their services for cash.  Which I don't foresee happening anytime soon.

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LibreOffice is Growing! Coming to Android & iOS!

Ever heard of LibreOffice?  If not, it is a free and open-source office suite that rivals the Microsoft Office Suite.  It has many comparable components and makes a great office solution for those who lack the pocket money to purchase MS Office, or those who just like using open-source software (I fall into both categories lol).  LibreOffice originated as a fork of the OpenOffice.org project and is simply outstanding.  Not to mention it is cross platform meaning you can use it on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems (it comes default with Ubuntu 11.04 and up)!

Just the other day the development team working on LibreOffice announced that they are aiming for a mobile client for both Android and iOS tablet devices (with phone support rolling out later); as well as offering an online counterpart to their offline software (probably something similar to Google Docs).  This is great news for the LibreOffice project because with expansion we see that the project is building steam among it's users (with a growing community as well).  Look for it heading to your mobile device late 2012 (maybe even early 2013).

If you haven't checked into LibreOffice yet, I would highly recommend doing so.  If you do check it out you may want to watch my previous video about how to set the default file formats to Microsoft Office compatible formats after installing to ensure everyone can open your documents.

Download: http://www.libreoffice.org/
My LibreOffice Video Post:
http://www.techiesmarts.com/2011/09/help-ubuntu-making-libreoffice-play.html

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Run Android Apps In Windows

Don't mind if I do!  I recently signed up for BlueStacks; which is a project that allows you to run Android apps from within a Windows Operating System.  I'm not so sure how well this will work out.  But figured it could be a fun little project.  I'm currently downloading the client now, so look back for a report in the next couple of days to see how it went!



For more info on BlueStacks visit: http://www.bluestacks.com

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I would use open source software if...

"If there were an open source program that I could use to replace ****  with, I'd give it a try; but there isn't."

This is one of the most popular arguments I hear when it comes to discussing open source software with people.  And I fully agree, I mean; why would you ever decide to stop using a program you know so well but costs an arm and a leg and start using a half designed free program that will only be extremely different than what you already use.  I understand, trust me.

Now, my respomse is usually something along the lines of "Do you know for sure there isn't something free to use out there that is potentially better in any way than your current solution"?  And most of the time, people have no clue.  Another common misconception is Open Source must mean Linux right?  Nope, just because it's an open source program doesn't mean you have to become a Linux user.  Linux is considered open source, and many open source packages or applications do have Linux versions.  But there are numerous projects out there that support at least Linux and Windows (if not Mac in some cases).

If in doubt, I like to visit: http://www.osalt.com

which mean 'Open Source as an Alternative'. It is a great reference if you are tired of forking over cash for software, you can search their site for open source alternatives to commercial software packages. Looking for an alternative to Microsoft's Office check their site and find links to great applications like Libre Office or OpenOffice.Org.

So before shrugging off open source, give it a chance.

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Website Review: SuseStudio.com-Build Your Own Linux Distro!

Okay, for all of the Linux fans out there. You really need to checkout SuseStudio.com. This is an awesome site if you have any interest in creating your own flavor of Linux. This site is a build kit which you access completely through the web. All of the building is done on the server side, and basically allows anyone (even non-Linux people) the capability to pick what packages they want included, custom boot screens and logo's, and even setup predetermined user logins. When done, you can create a Live CD/DVD ISO file for burning to a disk, a Live USB/Hard drive image file, even virtual machines for use in VMWare and VirtualBox. This site is free, versatile, and just plain fun to mess with. Each user is given 15GB's of space on the server for storing your built operating systems. You can also share your custom Linux with the suseGallery. All building is done on top of openSuse, so your distro will be RPM based. For more info, checkout my indepth demo video below:

Happy surfing!

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Unreal 3 Engine Makes Debut on Apple's iDevices!

Been pretty busy as of late, so I have some catching up to do.  Last week an app by the name of 'Epic Citadel' arrived on Apple's App Store.  No big surprise, new apps show up all the time.  But two things picked my interest: 1- the name of 'Epic' being included in the title and 2- it runs off of the Unreal 3 Engine.

I downloaded it on the iPad right away.  And I must say, that I was immediately blown away.  For some time there has been rumor and speculation that the Unreal 3 engine would eventually bring forth a 'mobile' version.  But honestly, I wasn't sure how well it would hold up in the transition from being a major pc/console graphics engine to making the jump to small, handheld, mobile device.  But to be honest, it is pure awesomeness.

The app is pretty much a tech demo.  There are no goals or achievements to accomplish.  The app simply lets the player explore this lush environment.  And it is great.  From the fine details to the shaders.  It's all sweet.  There are no other players/people/npc's wandering the worls, so it feels a little lonely.  But keep in mind, it's only real purpose is for Epic to be able to show off what can be done with it's diverse graphics engine.  

From what I have been reading 'Epic Citadel' is actually a game that is in development, that should be arriving on the iDevices by year's end.  This app was Epic's way of showing us their hand of cards.  And I must say, it's pretty freakin' awesome.  Personally, at this point; I don't care what the final game will be about.  Story set aside, replayability set aside; I will purchase that app once it hits the App Store.  By the way, the 'Epic Citadel' demo is free.

Check out the section on Epic's site about this awesome app: http://www.epicgames.com/technology/epic-citadel

and the link to the Itunes App Store:

http://itunes.apple.com/app/epic-citadel/id388888815

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Captain Forever! Awesome Free Game!

Ok everybody, one last post for the night then it's off to bed for me.  This evening I stumbled upon a crazy addictive game.  It's called Captain Forever.  It is a browser based game with an extremely simple concept.  Build a ship.  Check it out.  This screen is from the start of the game.

The red block with a heart in it is your 'player'.  You then click and drag the green blocks towards your player.  They will 'fuse' to your player and become part of your ship.  The blocks are 'Girder's and allow you to increase the size of your ship.  The small bracket shapes are boosters and allow your ship to speed up.  The smaller 'star with a stick' (seen floating just above the player in the screen to the left) are weapons. 

As you encounter other ships you get into firefights with them.  To destroy them you have to hit the red 'enemy player' that makes up the heart of their ship.  Once destroyed you can collect any other their remaining blocks that weren't destroyed in the fight.  Allowing you to upgrade your ship.  As you can see the blocks in the picture are green.  Green is the weakest set of blocks you can find.  They have ranging durability determined by color (green, yellow, purple, red, etc.)

In the picture to the right you can see my ship in a fight with a much smaller ship.  I won by the way.  One of the interesting things about this game is the way it demonstrates a type of physics.

If you have a ship that has two blocks on each side, much like in the picture.  And you place one booster on the end block, and don't place any other boosters on the ship.  It will start to 'pull' to one side and eventually turn accordingly.  So the player has to balance the structure of the ship while fighting other ships and expanding.  And in the heat of battle, if you happen to loose a weapon, adding one during a fight can have you on the edge of your seat.

Long story short, if you're looking for a simple time waster.  Drop by: http://www.captainforever.com/captainforever.php and give it a try.  It also has Facebook features as well.  Check it out!

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Is That A Webserver In Your Pocket...?

I have recently found myself in a position where I needed a way to edit a website/CMS solution when offline. I have a friend who has asked me to lend a hand on designing their new website. So instead of throwing up a half-finished website online and progressively working on it, I needed a way to do testing on the design and the CMS (Content Management System) that they will be using. The people who will in turn be updating the website aren't website designers. So they need a simple means to an attractive solution.

Enter XAMPP. XAMMP makes it extremely easy to setup and use an Apache Webserver and utilize PHP and MySQL features. Therefore simulating a webserver environment. Great idea! Offline testing for a web design. Next project, make it portable.

Again; no worries here, XAMPP has a 'lite' version that makes installation to a USB Flash Drive extremely simple. All you need is a USB Flash Drive (or external hard drive), a computer, and XAMPP lite. For sake of being simple, I downloaded the XAMPP Lite self installer package. Once the download is complete, locate the saved file and double click it.

The XAMPP setup will start. Make sure your flash drive is connected to your computer, and when the XAMPP setup applet starts you'll be prompted to 'Choose A Destination Folder'. Use the 'Browse' button to locate the flash drive's directory you wish to install to.

Then click 'Install'. That's it. After a few minutes, you'll be in business with an offline webserver that you can take with you.

Once you get the XAMPP Webserver setup, I found it handy to setup a shortcut to the 'xampp-control' app on the root directory of my flash drive (i.e.: E:/xammp). Especially since I use my flash drive for other things as well. This keeps me from having to search for the program to start up my webserver when I want to use it.

After installing XAMPP to my flash drive, I was able to test it by first going to: http://localhost/xampp/ which is the XAMPP setup page to use after installing XAMMP. From here you have access to 'phpMyAdmin' to setup the databases that will be used for your CMS.

In my case I wanted to play around with Wordpress. So I downloaded the Wordpress CMS software from: http://wordpress.org/. Once the download is complete, simply unzip the contents of the ZIP file to your XAMPP directory's 'htdocs' file. This will act as your 'WWW" folder. Once unzipped, edit the 'wp-config-sample' file with your MySQL database username and password. Then follow the next couple of prompts to complete the Wordpress setup.

Other Content Management Systems will be setup using the same basic process. Log in to phpMyAdmin and setup a database for your desired CMS, then use that database information for your CMS. Then you can test your site, site theme, and site's functionality without uploading to your webhost.

Please note, there are a handful of programs just like XAMPP out there, XAMPP is the one I choose to use and have become familiar with. Also, it's free! Enjoy!

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Jolicloud: Mozilla's entry into the Netbook OS Market

Ok, check it out. I love Firefox. It's great. Constant updates, fast software, reliable. It's awesome in my opinion. I do not own a Netbook (would like one, for novelty sake, don't really need one, but it looks like a neat toy for me). But if I did, I would more than likely be running the Netbook Ubuntu Remix.

But with Mozilla behind this project, it would be tempting to at least check it out. Their site claims that 'Wifi, Bluetooth, and 3G modems work out of the box on a growing list of supported hardware.' Check out the Hardware Compatibility List at: http://www.jolicloud.com/compatibility

Mozilla's goal is to turn the netbook into a 'web device' by using this 'Internet operating system'. By using this Open Source, cloud based solution you can try to combine your web and computing experiences. According to the Jolicloud site it is based on: Ubuntu and Debian Linux (Ubuntu is a derivative of the Debian OS). Which means it should be rather stable. And it looks as though it will be fairly simple to install (which has been one complaint of people who wish to install their own OS on a netbook).

Netbooks (by standard adoption) do not include a physical disk drive, leaving the user to install software via USB Flash Drives or external Hard Drives. Some of this has been addressed by alternative OS installs, but it still is present to those who wish not to use Windows XP on their Netbook.

Personally, this sounds like a pretty tight little piece of software. I will be keeping watch on it, and I have also registered for an Invitation to try out the OS. Which could mean for some fun working with VirtualBox. Swing by their site and check them out: http://www.jolicloud.com

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